Mock-A-Roni - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup orzo
1 1/2 teaspoons butter
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs, or to taste

Preparation

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat; stir Cheddar cheese into melted butter until cheese starts to melt, 2 to 3 minutes. Add milk, egg, Italian seasoning, and black pepper to cheese mixture; cook, stirring constantly, until cheese sauce is smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir orzo into cheese sauce until evenly coated.
Spoon orzo mixture into ramekins and top each serving with bread crumbs. Place ramekins in a shallow baking dish.
Bake in the preheated oven until topping begins to brown, about 30 minutes. Allow 'mock-a-roni' to cool enough to handle ramekins without potholders, about 5 minutes.